Laços de Família: a oferta de parentes femininos no ciclo de vida das mulheres brasileiras, ao longo de três décadas (1980-2010)

Abstract

This study aims to understand how support networks are structured during menarche, menopause, and climacteric, based on the premise that women sustain the functioning of society through the daily provision of direct and indirect care, but also need support at different stages of their life trajectory. This study adopts an individual-centered approach to analyze the experience of women in different household arrangements throughout the reproductive life cycle, allowing an assessment of the presence of female relatives in the household and their variation at different life stages. The study analyzed women from three specific age groups in the 1980, 1991, 2000, and 2010 Demographic Censuses, covering the periods of menarche (9 to 16 years), menopause (48 to 50 years), and climacteric (63 to 65 years). From the extracted data, the co-residence of these women with different female relatives, such as mothers, daughters, sisters, granddaughters, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, and nieces, was identified, along with those living alone. Based on this identification, a typology of household arrangements was developed, classifying the women into three distinct categories: those who live alone, those who reside exclusively with primary relatives, and those who live with secondary relatives. To estimate the expected time women, spend in each family configuration, a metric was applied to calculate life expectancy in different household arrangements, considering the exposure rates to each configuration throughout the life cycle. This calculation was conducted using complete mortality tables derived from abridged tables. The results indicate that, over time, there has been a shift in family co-residence dynamics. During menarche, the maternal figure became more central, with an increase in co-residence with mothers, while the presence of sisters decreased. A slight increase in co-residence with grandmothers was also observed. In menopause and climacteric, co-residence with daughters decreased, while support from mothers increased. Additionally, a slight increase in co-residence with granddaughters was noted, suggesting greater intergenerational interaction. These findings highlight the need for public policies that consider changes in household arrangements, promoting support networks that ensure the well-being of women throughout their reproductive trajectory.